Black Pepper...

Assalamualaikum and Salam Sejahtera to all...

Vernacular name: Black Pepper, Lada Hitam

Botanical name: Piper Nigrum

Family: Piperaceae

History and interesting facts:

Black Pepper was believed to be originated from India. It is native to India and has been known to Indian cooking since at least 2000 BC.  Peppercorns were a much priced trade good, often referred as ‘black gold’ and used as a form of commodity money.  The ancient history of pepper is often interlinked with long papers until the discovery of chili pepper which when dried are similar in shape and taste, were easier to grow in variety of location.

Only after the Middle Ages (a period of history which lasted for roughly a millennium, from 5^th to 16^th century), virtually all of black pepper found in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa traveled there from India’s Malabar region. It was also being grown in Java, Sunda, Sumatera, Madagascar, Malaysia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia but these areas traded mainly with China or used the pepper locally.

Black pepper, along with other spices from India has changed the course of world history.  It was in some part the preciousness of these spices that led to the European efforts to find a sea route to India and consequently to the European colonial occupation of that country, as well as the European discovery and colonization of the Americas.

A riddle found in 7^th Century authored by Saint Aldhelm (a Latin poet).

I am black on the outside, clad in a wrinkled cover,
Yet within I bear a burning marrow.
I season delicacies, the banquets of kings, and the luxuries of the table,
Both the sauces and the tenderized meats of the kitchen.
But you will find in me no quality of any worth,
Unless your bowels have been rattled by my gleaming marrow.

Black peppercorns were found stuffed in the nostrils of Ramesses ll, placed there as part of the mummification ritual shortly after his death in 1213 BC.

Nutrition content: 9-12% water, 22-45% carbohydrate, 10-12% protein and 10-17% fiber.

Uses in food:

Black pepper is mostly used in food as spice and for flavoring/seasoning. It is known that once ground, the pepper’s aromatic can evaporated quickly and by that reason, grinding the whole peppercorns immediately before use, is recommended in most culinary sources.  I would say that pepper is used in most/all kitchens around the globe, you will see pepper mill or pepper shaker on their dining table along with salt.

I used Black Pepper as spice in my marinations of meat, chicken, poultry, fish, vegetables, stocks, soups and sauces. Whole pepper corns roasted together with meat to give that little spice/peppery flavor while ground black pepper I used as flavoring or seasoning/finishing taste for every cooking. In some spiced cooking I always put the whole pepper corns together with other spices, as, if you used it whole less peppery taste then using ground.  I also used it to make anyone (who talks a lot) near me to sneeze by putting that pepper powder near their nose… haha!

Uses for health and healing:

The 5^th century ‘Syriac Book of Medicine’ prescribes pepper for such illness as constipation, diarrhea, earache, gangrene, heart disease, hernia, hoarseness, indigestion, insects bites, insomnia, joint pain, liver problems, lung disease, oral abscesses, sunburn, tooth decay and toothache.

Other uses:

Pepper spray is used for self protection, guess who use it? and having this device in their handbag? Pepper oil was processed and used as ingredients in perfume industries.

Note: before I made this article, I never know that herbs is the reason why in the old days sailor traveled but it also stated in history that they are actually looking for herbs for business purposes, not to discover the world which later has become primary purpose for them and herbs was that precious in the past… which proved people does love to eat good food… correct me if I am wrong… ;)

Info taken from wikepedia.com

And as bonus…

Peppery Beef

Ingredients:

500gm tenderloin beef (dice)

Corn oil

5 cloves garlic (sliced)

5 nos shallots (sliced)

5 nos red chilies (sliced)

1 nos red bell pepper (julienne)

2 tsp cumin

2 tbsp black pepper corn

5 tbsp tomato sauce

2 tbsp chili paste

150 ml beef stock

Salt

Method:

Heat up a non sticky pan add 2 tbsp corn oil and sauté beef until dried or light brown color (at this stage, you might add some salt). Mean time, heat up a sauce pot, put in 2 tbsp corn oil and sauté garlic and shallot until fragrance. Add in tomato sauce and chili paste, stir, add in beef stock, cumin and pepper corns, cook to boil. Low fire and simmer, add in red chilies, bell pepper and beef, stir. Check seasoning, add salt to taste. Cover pot let it cook/simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes.  Ready to be served.

Tips: you can actually cook them straight in one pot/pan but I sautéed the beef first because I like the beef to be colored and to get rid of their water, as the juice would give a dirt texture in the sauce. Some people would hate whole pepper corns in this dish but it is less hot than using ground and you could actually use ground pepper but remember to put less the amount, also you can actually eat that pepper corn. Dish is nice to be served with rice together with other dishes for family lunch or dinner. If you are using tough beef part simmer it longer to tenderize the meat and add more stock.

Note: this is much of a peppery tasted beef than spicy, as it is not that hot at all.

I hope you enjoy reading and have a great time… ;)

Regards, Chef Nash